Princeville at Hanalei - Prince Golf Course

Went private. A real shame that it cannot be played.

What a shame the Prince Course is going private because visitors to Kauai will certainly miss this course. It's probably the most difficult course on Kauai with lots of memorable holes. Another renovation will reportedly soften the course, which has one of the hardest opening holes in all of golf. A top 100 course, it's also a lot of work. High handicappers will struggle with the forced carries, difficult elevated greens and uneven lies.

Played for the first time on my honeymoon. Was better than I expected with great a staff who were extremely friendly. Was fortunate to play by myself and my wife who rode along. The course was in great shape although the the greens were much slower than I would have guessed. No need to be long off the tee (I used driver 2x only) but need to keep it straight and controlled. If you ever have a chance to play, it's absolutely worth it. The sights and vistas are second to none.

You step up to the first tee and you think...oh my gosh...what do I do? Thankfully the course starter tells me that a shot of 220 to 230 is called for to a landing area that slopes away from you to the hazard. Intimidating? You bet. If you miss that, the fairway zigs right then left and its narrow! You think to yourself...I didn't bring enough golf balls.
That is the true beauty of this golf course. Mr. Jones Jr. designed a course that makes you think. Yes, you have to think about every shot you play. If you do that, you will have a truly great golf experience. I did.
I found this course to be breathtaking, difficult, but fair. Its not for everyone but if you've got game...you have to go. This course gave me my most memorable golf experience. Loved it. Bravo Mr. Jones Jr.

I'll start off by saying the staff and facilities are top notch. They literally go out of their way to make sure you have the best experience possible. Now on to the golf..

I consider myself an above average golfer. I have a 3.7 index but absolutely struggled on pretty much the entire course. I'm the type of golfer who plays best when I can hit it long off the tee. This is not one of those courses. I think I was able to pull my driver out of the bag twice. The course is the definition of target golf. A lot of the greens were all or nothing. If you aren't straight off the tee and fairways you will require a couple dozen golf balls. However the greens are fairly large but not very flat.

I recommend this course because the views are second to none. Absolutely stunning visuals. Play this course to say you did and take a lot of pictures but you will not go low.

Word of warning: The Prince course at Princeville will break you.
But you'll still enjoy every minute of its challenge.
This beautiful brute ranks no. 22 on Golf Digest's list of "America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses" and in a tie for 46th on its list of "America's 75 Toughest Golf Courses."
A $5 million facelift has the iconic Robert Trent Jones Jr. course on Kauai's north shore looking spectacular again. The extensive refurbishment project finished in 2012 added tee boxes, rebuilt bunkers and covered all the greens with seashore paspalum while enhancing playability in certain areas. The rejuvenated 13-acre practice area includes a beautiful driving range that transforms into a six-hole par-3 course in the late afternoons. The "Mini Prince" -- designed for beginners and families to walk -- features holes ranging from 65 to 91 yards.
The big course roams though thick vegetation that gobbles up errant shots. It flirts with a few ocean views on the sixth and seventh holes before diving back into the jungle. A waterfall behind the 13th green provides striking natural beauty.
The 66,000-square-foot clubhouse is just as magnificent with floor-to-ceiling windows and The Tavern Restaurant by celebrity chef Roy Yamaguchi.
Little touches - like the free pineapple slices delivered during the round - shows how dedicated the staff is to making every visit enjoyable.

Beautiful course and design with beautiful ocean views around hole 7..... i played as a single and course was not busy on the day i played. The back 9 fairways had recently been aerated.

We enjoyed our play there very much. The carts were great plus they gave us nice engraved tags for our golf bags.

A strategic course with many forced carries. Bring a dozen balls just in case. Enjoy the views, play from the correct tees, and remember your on vacation.

Pretty windy out the day I played but didn't feel like it was as hard as I expected. Need to hit it pretty straight to keep ball in play but I found it a lot more easy to score than Kapalua Plantation that I played later on this vacation. There are lot of great holes that have stayed in my head. I would definitely play it again. Course was in good condition but not pristine, a little muddy in spots but some holes are through the jungle. Even has a waterfall behind one green.

This is a beautiful course that roams over acres of hills near the ocean. You rarely find a straight hole. A few lay-ups off the tee are required to put you in position for your next shot. They also have a great pro shop.

If you have played Prince before and said "never again", it is time to rethink the course. The greens are great, the fairways are now more open to play than prior to the re-construction. You will still lose balls out here, but you will also post a better score all the way around. A great experience and some nice views along the way.

The Prince course will definitely make you think about course strategy and evaluate all options before each shot. Thankfully, their GPS system is both informative and extremely accurate.

Drainage problems and ridiculously difficult holes marred this otherwise fine course. At these prices, and with top 100 Courses designation, I should not have so much mud on me by rainy round's end.

I preferred the Makai and Lagoons Courses while staying in Kauai

The recently re-designed Prince Course is extremely difficult despite excellent conditions, state of the art GPS, extensive selection of teeing areas, well trained staff and spectacular location. The course defines Target Golf like few others on the planet, unfortunately, the cost for missing the target, particularly off the tee, is often a lost ball....played as a lateral hazard throughout the course.
As an 7 handicap, I played well, lost 7 golf balls and shot 84, from the Blue tees. Next time I'll play from the longer Gold tees as the course opens up with a longer tee shot. 5 lost balls ran through the fairway into the gully which might not have happened from the longer tees - despite trying to use a shorter club off the tee. It can be maddening.
Fortunately, after the round, you are treated to the best $$ deal on the island....Happy Hour at the beautiful new clubhouse.

I had read the many reviews of this course and was amazed that they are justified. An unbelievable day of golf. The course can be challenging especially if one plays from the incorrect set of tees for their individual skill level.

I pulled into the parking lot and was welcomed immediately by a host with my cart. He was very friendly and drove me to the check in stand. the Pro Shop staff was very friendly and they checked me in very quickly and sent me back out to my cart where another host was there to show me to the driving range and then to the first hole. As many free range balls as I needed. They let me tee off over 30 minutes early, and at the first tee I was greeted with a slice of pineapple. The course conditions were perfect the fairways were amazing the greens were like carpet and the tee boxes were what you would expect from a PGA tour caliber course. The drink cart came by every few holes and was moderately affordable and well stocked. There were amazing views to be had not only from the few ocean views but also from the amazing elevation changes on the many very difficult holes. At the end of 18 holes I was greeted with a Princeville bag tag with my name on it as well as a score high above my index. Highly recommend this amazing experience.

The course is beautiful and several holes are very difficult. Not to be missed is the water fall behind the 13th hole. It is your consulation prize after playing this very difficult hole. The greens are excellent and course conditions are excellent. Bring a few extra golf balls.

Definitely a top 100 course (and I belong to one so I would know). Difficulty is definitely driven by the wind. And it blew. There are some good scoring holes. Shot placement crucial on some holes. Buy a book so you know how to play it as there aree a few blind holes and shots. Greens were smooth but should have been faster. Overall course condition was excellent although there were about 3 holes that suffered from the rain.

I played 2 rounds at Poipu Bay golf course. It was extremely beautiful, but when i came to play at Prince of Princeville it blew my mind away by how they built this golf course. It is one of the best course I have ever played. You have to be here to feel it.